Flanging machine



Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE o a I fassasei YFLANGING MACHINE David Sawyer, Ogden, Utah Application March 28, 1949,Serial No. 83,924

4 Claims. (Cl. 153-21) 1 v This invention relates to machines forflanging malleable sheet material, especially sheet metal.

In the making of sheet metal letters for display signs, particularlythe'neon tube type of electrical sign, a very effective artistic resultis achieved by beveling the edges of the letters. To do so manually,however, is a tediousand timeconsuming matter which is not practicalexcept in veryspecial instances. To do so by means of numerals involvesa very considerable initial expense and serves only for one size andconfiguration of letter or numeral.

In accordance with my invention, I am able to easily and economicallyproduce almost any size or configuration of letter, numeral, or othergraphic or pictorial, representation, with any de sired degree of bevelon any or all edges thereof.

=I accomplish this by the provision of a flanging m'achiriehaving aflanging tool arranged for rapid reciprocation relative to an anvil uponwhich the sheet metal shape whose edges are to he beveled is supportedduring the afianging operation.

The fianging tool is preferably mounted to be driven by any standardpower unit, such as a small electric motor, whereby construction andFurthermore,

and replacementin a suitable holder, so that a variety of types of toolsmay be utilized in the machine for particular operations.

Principal objects of the invention, therefore,

i are:

. To provide a flanging machine for sheet metal ,which is capable ofbeveling or otherwise flanging the edges of a variety of configurations,es-

pecially letters of the alphabet and numerals in theconstruction ofelectric and other types of display signs. 1

To provide such ,a machine which. will handle inside edges of shapessuch as the letters .P, B, etc., as satisfactorily and as easily as Vexterior edges thereof.

To provide such a machine whose. action is to bend or draw the "edges ofa sheet metal shape into desired flange formation progressively as theshape is fed into the machine. i

To provide such a machine Whose construction is. simple, not likely toget out of order, and inexi pensive in initial cost and operation.

forming dies is scarcely more practical, since a complete set of diescovering the alphabet and Such drive disk I8 is fixed to a drive shaftI9 .Further objects and features of theinvention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description of the presently preferredspecific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing byway of exemplifying the novel structure and functional-concepts involvedrather than by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a topplan view of the machine;

Fig. 2, a side elevation;

Fig. 3, a front elevation;

Fig. 4, a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, butillustrating a difierent type of forming tool in the tool holder of themachine; and

Fig. 5, a fragmentary side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 butillustrating yet a different type of forming tool inthe tool holder ofthe machine.

Referring to the drawing: In the embodiment illustrated, a bracket framel0 provides a support for a reciprocative tool holder II which ismounted in the angularly projecting member or table Illa for slidingmovementin a sleeve bearing I2, such bearing l2 being in this instanceattached to and depending fromthe'under'side of the bracket projectingmember [0a, as by means of welding. The sleeve bearing, it will benoted, provides a substantially vertical slideway for the tool holder H,while the table liia presents an appropriate work surface or face intowhich the slideway opens.

The bracket frame [0 may be attached toany suitable support, for examplethat shown fragmentarily at [3, as by means of screws 14. Thus, themachine is readily mounted for use, and just as readily demounted fromits support for repairs, if necessary, orv for storage.

The tool holder H is pivotally linked, as at IE, to a drive rod l6,which is, in .turn, pivotally secured to the crank pin ll of a drivedisk 18.

journaled in a bearing 20, which, in thepresent instance, is driven fromany suitable source of power, such asan electric motor (not shown), bymeans of a belt workingover a drive pulley 2|. A suitable flanging tool,such as that illustratedat 22, is removably and adjustably secured in anelongated receiving recess 23, Fig. 4, formed in the tool holder H, setscrews 24 serving to j secure the same. in any given working positionestablished by the operator of the machine.

- Operatively positioned with respect tothe tool holder, is an anvil 25."In .the illustrated in stance, the anvil 25 is adjustably positionedfon,thebracket projecting member or; table 1011,. so

as to support the work 26, Fig. 2, in a desired operative relationshipwith respect to the hanging tool 22.

For the purpose of vertical adjustability and also to enable convenientsecurement in any adjusted position, the anvil 25 is formed with athreaded shank 25a which is screwed through a positioning plate 27, theresulting assembly being mounted on top of the bracket projecting memberor table a so that the lower part of the shank 25a projects downwardlythrough an elongate slot 23 which extends along such bracket member Illain longitudinal alignment with the tool holder and flanging tool. Asillustrated, the anvil 25 may be conveniently provided by a bolt havinga round head with perpendicular-circumferential edge.

The anvil is here secured in adjusted'position by means of .a nut 29,advantageously formed at or secured to the end of a handle member 30.

The positioning plate 21 is desirably provided with a handle member 21ato facilitate positioning of the anvil either-closer to or farther fromthe flanging tool.

The drive disk I8 is preferably provided with alternate receivingopenings SI for the crank pin [1, whereby the throw of the crank and theresulting reciprocative stroke of the tool holder H and fianging tool 22may be made shorter or longer, as found desirable.

In operation, the work 25 is placed upon the anvil 2-5, which projectsupwardly from the table Hm free and clear of surrounding structure otherthan the fianging tool 22, and is held and fed manually while therapidly reciprocating flanging tool, which also projects upwardly fromthe table Illa free and clear of surrounding structure other than theanvil 25, engages and bends edges of such work, as shown, for example bydotted lines .in Fig. 2.

The hanging tools employed with the machine may vary in characterdepending upon the nature of the results desired. The positioning of theanvil and length of reciprocative stroke of the tool will depend uponthe particular fianging tool employed.

The flanging tool 22 has a head 22a formed as a lip which engages themargin of the work on the down-stroke of the machine and bends or drawssuch margin to a downward bevel 2611, Fig. 2, as the edge of the work isfed progressivelyinto the machine.

In Fig. 4, a flanging tool 32 has its forming head 32a provided by anupwardly sloping offset in the tool shank.

In Fig. 5, a flanging tool 33 has its forming head 33a provided with aright-angle recess 34 for positively shaping a right-angle flange.

It should be noted that, in all instances, the flanging tool and thecooperative anvil, 25, are

of such character relative to the piece of sheet material being workedupon that practically any edge portion of such piece may be beveled asdesired regardless of the configuration of such piece. Thus, the insideedges of such letters as P, B, O,'R, etc, may be beveled as easily asthe outside edges thereof, resulting in a symmetrically formed producthaving the appearance of an expensive die stamping.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect tocertain presently preferred forms thereof, it is to be understood thatvarious changes may be made therein and various other forms may beconstructed on the basis of the teachings hereof by those skilled in theart without departing from the protective scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flanging machine for malleable sheet material comprising a bracketframe having an angularly projecting member; a substantially verticallydisposed slideway carried by said projecting member; a tool holdermounted for vertical reciprocation in said slideway, said tool holderbeing adapted to receive and hold in operative position a hanging tool,and said projecting member being slotted in substantially longitudinalalignment with the tool holder; a positioning plate slideably placedupon said projecting member for longitudinal sliding movement thereupon;.an anvil mounted on said projecting member in operative proximity tosaid tool holder so as to support work in the path of reciprocation ofsaid flanging tool, said anvil having a threaded shank screwed throughsaid positioning plate and extending through said slotted portion of theprojecting member; a securement nut threaded onto the extended end ofsaid anvil shank; a drive rod pivotally coupled to said tool said driverod and said tool holder; and means for rotating said crank means.

2. A flanging machine for malleable sheet material, comprising a bracketframe having an angularly projecting member; a slideway carried by saidprojecting member; a tool holder mounted for reciprocation in saidslideway, said tool holder being adapted to receive and hold inoperative position a fianging tool, and said projecting member beingslotted in substantially longitudinal alignment with the tool holder; apositioning plate slideably placed upon said projecting member forlongitudinal sliding movement thereupon; an anvil mounted on saidprojecting member in operative proximity to said tool holder so as tosupport work in the path of reciprocation of said flanging tool, saidanvil having a threaded shank screwed through said positioning plate andextending through said slotted portion of the projecting member; asecurement nut threaded onto the extended end of said anvil shank; adrive rod pivotally coupled to said tool holder; crank means arranged toreciprocate said drive rod and said tool holder; and means for rotatingsaid crank means.

3. A fianging machine for malleable sheet material, comprising a bracketframe having two members disposed substantially at right angles to eachother, one of said frame members being adapted for attachment to asupport, the other being :apertured and forming a work table; a sleeveextending from the underside of said work table in registry with theaperture thereof, forming a slideway; a tool holder mounted forreciprocation in said slideway, said tool holder being adapted toreceive and hold in operative position a fian-ging tool; an anvilmounted on said work table member in operative proximity to said toolholder so as to support work in the path of reciprocation of saidflanging tool; a drive rod pivotally coupled to said tool holder; crankmeans arranged to reciprocate said drive rod and said tool holder; meansjournaling said crank means in said one frame member and means forrotating said crank means, said flanging tool "and said anvil projectingfrom the work face of said work table member of the bracket frame freeand clear of any other structure.

4. The combination recited in claim 3, wherein the tool holder includesan elongate recesse portion for receiving the shank of a hanging tool,and set screw means intermediate the length 0 5. said recessed portionfor anchoring the said Number fiangin-g tool in a-dju-sted position;longitudinally, 338,100 relative to said tool holder. 540,013 DAVID F.SAWYER. 605,761 5 1,556,166 REFERENCES CITED 1 734, 31 The followingreferences are of record in the 1,754,423 file of this patent: 1,821,457

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date Number 307,357 Tweddell et a1Oct. 28, 1884 23,416 336,361

Van Vliet Feb. 16, 1886 Name .Date Ohl Mar. 16, 1886 Alexander May 28,1895 Stewart June 14, 1898 Sievert Oct. 6, 1925 Ringelhan Nov. 5, 1929Huber Apr. 15, 1930 Willis Sept. 1, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Country DateNorway Aug. 30, 1911

